Subscriber Discussion

Google Buying Dropcam?

GG
Gautham Gopalakrishna
May 27, 2014

Or is it just another rumor mill working overtime?

Update: Google Acquires Dropcam For $555 Million

JH
John Honovich
May 27, 2014
IPVM

From what has been published, there does not seem to be much too it.

Here's from the first site that published this:

"Google’s Nest division is plotting a move into the home-security market and has considered acquiring connected camera-maker Dropcam to accelerate the push, according to several people close to Google."

'Considered acquiring' is a very low bar for publishing something as big companies 'consider acquiring' lots of startups all the time.

It would be different if they were claiming that Google 'made an offer' as that is a far more substantive step.

I do not know what's going on, but from what's being claimed, there's not much there.

Also, who knows who these 'several people close to Google' are and what their motivations are. There are many cases where startups, or their PR people, float should rumors to simply increase the brand recognition / appeal of their companies.

JH
John Honovich
May 27, 2014
IPVM

From that site's member section, there's not really any meat and only one other interesting comment:

"The company has drawn informal interest from a range of suitors over the past year, including Apple, people close to Dropcam said."

This further makes me think this is Dropcam's marketing/PR people at work - specifically, the phrase 'informal interest' which is classic spin that says nothing real, but implies something big plus the Apple name drop.

GG
Gautham Gopalakrishna
May 27, 2014

Yeah, I do agree, certainly the marketing folks at Dropcam have been creative!

JH
John Honovich
May 27, 2014
IPVM

There's 53 articles on Google / Dropcam showing on Google News today, including from every major Valley tech site. This is absolutely outrageous or genius, depending on your viewpoint of publicizing rumors of very little substance.

JH
John Honovich
May 28, 2014
IPVM

There's been lots of stupid articles written about this rumor but this one - If Google Buys Dropcam, say Goodbye to Privacy Forever might be the worst.

So Google is going to buy a company that has .001% of the world's total surveillance cameras and then privacy is over? Even by Dropcam's support estimates, they've sold a few hundred thousand cameras, out of the tens of millions out there.

And it's not as if Google can force people to get surveillance cameras. Would Google give Dropcams away for free? Unlikely.

If Google were to ever buy Dropcam, it would certainly be a payday for the Dropcam investors and a field day for the tech press, but the actual impact on surveillance camera usage would likely be minimal. Selling hardware has none of the network effects that YouTube, search engines or social networks has.

VK
Vance Kozik
May 29, 2014

If Google ended up buying Dropcam, the primary goal would not be to sell hardware. It would be to go to battle with Apple in the upcoming war over a dominant smart home OS/ecosystem. It’s a version of "Android vs. iOS" in the home. I'm curious to see the details on Apple's smart home strategy when it gets announced next week.

Avatar
Brian Rhodes
Jun 21, 2014
IPVMU Certified
New discussion

Ask questions and get answers to your physical security questions from IPVM team members and fellow subscribers.

Newest discussions